Standard: sourdough pizzas and super-fresh salads

on the repurposed PAKT site in Antwerp

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 —
The repurposed PAKT site in Antwerp, with its melting pot of creative businesses in renovated warehouses, is now also home to ‘Standard’. Standard offers sourdough pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven and crisp salads prepared with fresh, organic herbs and vegetables grown on the roof of PAKT, an ambitious city farming project on the roofs of the old industrial site between Lamorinièrestraat, the Groen Kwartier and Lange Leemstraat.

STANDARD

The impressive PAKT site has gained another top-quality, unpretentious eatery. The team behind Standard aim to set a new standard for sourdough pizza and salad. To develop the perfect sourdough - a process that began two years ago - they travelled to Italy several times.

“We work with sourdough because it is easy to digest and does not contain sugar, which makes it healthier. Sourdough is made by natural fermentation. It takes time to make dough like ours, and most importantly it is absolutely delicious.” - Michel Roose, Standard

For the pizza toppings and salads, Standard only works with the very best produce. The herbs and vegetables come from literally right above your head and are organically grown on the roof of PAKT, in partnership with agrotechnologist and biotechnologist Bram Stessels from CSA De Volle Grond in Tielrode. In consultation with ‘Farmer Bram’, many less-familiar vegetables such as Swiss chard, kohlrabi and kale can also be grown. So instead of a set menu there is an exciting selection that changes regularly according to the season. The result is an honest, super-fresh seasonal menu. All this delicious fare is also available for takeaway and delivery. Download the first menu from the link at the bottom of this press release.

The extraordinary 'Coeur de PAKT tomato' takes pride of place: a special coeur de boeuf or beef tomato grown in the large greenhouse on the roof from seeds that the site owner Yusuf Yaman obtained long ago in Bulgaria. Coeur de PAKT tomatoes can weigh up to 1.4 kilos and have an incredible taste.

For its organic wines, antipasti, local meats and cheeses, Standard only works with the very best suppliers.

Every day at 5.00pm sharp, Standard welcomes people who have been working or shopping nearby for a Standard Aperitif (with free finger food)! Standard has a large, comfortable terrace in the inner courtyard of the PAKT site.

STANDARD workshops

Standard would love to share its sourdough knowledge. It will be opening up its kitchen and wood-fired oven to host workshops at regular intervals

STANDARD interior

Standard’s no-nonsense approach is also reflected in the interior, designed by Petillon Ceuppens architects. Here, too, the aim was to create a quality ‘standard’ rather than a conceptual decor. The result is a simple but well-considered design that is faithful to the building’s history as an industrial warehouse. This is conveyed through the use of honest, sometimes slightly rough materials such as concrete and factory tiles, complemented with solid oak tables and benches. Petillon Ceuppens architects went all-out to design an interior that creates an accessible, relaxed atmosphere. Nothing more and nothing less than that: quite simply, they set the ‘standard’.

By the way, the green paint used for the windows is officially called ‘Lamorinière Green’, after the Antwerp painter Frans Lamorinière.

What is PAKT?

A hotspot and melting pot for entrepreneurs and urban farmers who feed the heart of Antwerp with creativity and culinary experiments. In the renovated warehouses at PAKT, creative people and sustainable Antwerp businesses work hand in hand: at companies, in workshops, through experiences and co-working, etc. It is a vibrant ecosystem in inspiring spaces that exude creativity.